Mission Woman Charged After Claiming Daughter was Ill

MISSION, Texas (AP) — Authorities say a South Texas mother shaved her 7-year-old daughter's head and claimed she had terminal cancer to scam people out of money. The forty-six-year-old Mission woman is charged with exploitation of a child, a third-degree felony.

The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office says the mother asked people for money to pay for her daughter's cancer treatments in person and on social media sites. A news release says the mother told people her daughter was terminally ill and only had months to live.

Child Protective Services discovered the scam and removed the daughter from her home. Investigators later found that a medical examination of the woman's daughter revealed that she didn't have cancer. Deputies arrested the woman Wednesday. Hidalgo County jail records say she was released Friday on a $10,000 bond.

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